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The building, widely considered to be one of the most iconic post-war buildings in the city centre, has stood empty since July 2012, when the Telegraph moved just outside the ring road to Coventry’s Canal Basin.

It had been the Telegraph’s purpose-built headquarters since 1959 and now its new owner Complex Development Projects (CDP) plans to turn it into a hotel.

But building work is unlikely to get underway for another 12 months or more, so the developers have allowed the venue to be used as a creative art space until July next year.

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The pop-up gallery has won the financial backing of Historic England/Coventry Heritage Action Zone and has been created entirely by local volunteers, who have partly restored the front entrance, lobby and atrium garden.

Telegraph editor Keith Perry will officially open the space and introduce the ‘CET Memories’ display at a private event on Thursday evening. Following that, the site will be open to the public

‘CET Memories’ includes more than 70 black and white photos from our archives which trace the history of the building which housed hundreds of staff, enormous printing presses, an impressive wood-panelled boardroom and the apartment which former owner Lord Illiffe used.

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Other highlights include work by Coventry University architecture students, a Medieval Watchtower project by Luke Bryant, a display looking at the legacy of Coventry’s post-war re-building and a 3D computer montage of the city.

The CET Building will be opening to the public from Saturday, with 30-minute guided tours of the offices and print rooms available only on Saturdays.

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Alan Denyer, the lead volunteer, said: “I was only going to spend two days in here doing a quick clear up but when you get to look around, it suddenly dawns on you what a great building this is and why it’s worth the effort to create something that tells its story.

“Yes, we had big factories elsewhere in Coventry - but nothing quite touched everyone in the city like the local newspaper did. In it’s heyday, there were 600 people employed here, with a circulation figure of 360,000 - that’s basically everyone.’

“My day job is property restoration but when I heard about the ‘pop-up’ artspace idea and that Historic England had donated £2,000 for materials and printing to help make it happen, I thought I’d clear my diary, get volunteering and give the project three months of my time free of charge as it’s a great thing for Coventry to have - right in the heart of the city.

“I’ve had super fun uncovering the fantastic quality of the original (1959) building - and been completely overwhelmed by the response from people who’ve seen, and commented on the pics I’ve been posting on Facebook (@cetpopup) as work progresses.

“The last job might have rolled off the press here 13 years ago - but that’s over 60 million newspapers produced since the facility opened. Everyone I’ve spoken to seems to remember their time like it was just yesterday; great camaraderie, with a sense of pride in the service they were providing and it’s been fascinating to uncover some of the stories.

“And, with the ‘CET Memories’ display, we’re hoping to show something of what went on - the building and processes, changing as technology and time moved on.”